Balancing means for rotary valves



H. MANRODT BALANCING MEANS FOR ROTARY VALVES July l0, 1934.

Filed June 17, 195o IN VEN TOR.

ATTORNEYS.'

Patented July 10, 1934 UNHTD STATES PATENT OFFICE 10 Claims.

The present invention is a continuation in part of my copending application Ser. N o. 363,136 iiled May 15, 1929, now Patent No. 1,866,119, July 5, 1932, and has for its primary object the provision of a balanced rotary valve structure which will replace the common individual inlet and exhaust valves now used in combustion engines or the like and serve to control the cyclic operation of the cylinders of such engines.

Another object is the provision of a single valve structure which may Operate in conjunction with, and as a common control for a plurality of cylinders of an engine.

A further object -is to provide a valve and cylinder head construction whereby expansion of said valve during operation will befcompensat` ed for without impairing the effectiveness of the valve seal.

Still another objectl is the provision'of a valve .20 structure which will be air cooled.

A further object is the provision of a novel balancing arrangementrin the valve chamber which communicates with the compression chamber in the cylinder head and which is controlled Vin part by the pressure therein and is mounted in leakprooi manner for all practical purposes. Y

The Valve set forth `in my said copending application I have found to be more complicated than is necessary and while the same is effective for all the purposes described therein, I have found it possible t0 simplify the said earlier structure to a marked degree without impairing in any way its effectiveness. I have in fact obtained a device which not only is simpler but is also more perfectly balanced and operates in a superior manner to the earlier device.

In the present application I, therefore, propose to embody the improved valve structure which accomplishes all the objects of the original device and in addition the added objects above .mentioned and others which will be apparent from the following description- Y My invention comprises the novel construction, combination and arrangement of elements to be hereinafter more fully described, shown in the accompanying drawing and defined in the appended claims. In the drawing, similar reference characters denote corresponding parts and;

Fig. 1 is a vertical section along line 1-1 of Fig. 2 of my valve in a cylinder head which latter is mounted on a cylinder block;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view ofthe Ycylinder' head manner is my novel cylinder head 11. head is provided with an interior valve vchamber A and the bottom wall 12 .thereof vmay be formed with a valve seat 12 which latter has a suitable port 13 over each of the said cylinders c and c2. Each port 13 serves both as inlet and exhaust port for its cylinder during the respective cyclic strokes. be horizontally disposed for a purpose'hereinafter to be specified.V An enlarged opening 15 -communicating with the Ysaid chamber A is provided in said Vhead 11 and an opening -16 concentric with the top opening v15 may be providedin-the 904 bottom 12 of said head.

(Cl. 12S-190) and valve in position of use over the cylinder block of a combustion engine;

Fig. 3 is a reduced full section of myvalve and part of the balancing means alongline 3 3 of Fig. 1; and G0 Fig. 4 is a sectional view of a modiiieddetail.

In the present embodiment of .my invention for the purpose of illustration, -I show a valve structure adapted to cooperate with two cylinders of an engine and also the corresponding cylinder head construction therefor. The valve however is not limited to cooperation with only two cylinders but may be `modiiied without the exercise of invention to cooperate with anynumber of suitably arranged cylinders. 7.0

Referring now to the drawing, c, @represent two cylinder bores in a common cylinder block 10 which latter may have the usual water jacket 10. The structure of the cylinder block may be of any well known type and forms no partrof the 75 present invention. Y

Mounted on said cylinder block 10 in suitable The said The top wall 14 of said chamber A may 85 Over each cylinder bore c and 02,1 providea combustion chamber 1'7 in the head 11, each of said chambers being entirely separate from the chamber A, independent of one another and each 9.5 communicates directly with its respective cylinder bore. The hollowed portions of said chambers 17 extend above the inner top wall 14. Suitable openings 18 are provided in said top wall and each communicates with its respective cham- L ber 17 and said chamber A.

A water jacket for cooling the head 11 may be formed by arranging water circulating ducts together as at 11' and 112, the said head being so formed in order to permit the insertion of the valve to' be hereinafter described. There are air ducts v through the side walls of said head and communicating with said valve chamber A.

The rotary valve 22 which is designed to control the cyclic operations in said cylinders and which operates in the valve chamber A has a flat base 23 which is designed to ride on the valve seat 12, the said valve being centered by means of its driving shaft 24 which latter is suitably driven from the engine and is adapted to rotate the said valve in a manner to be presently described. A portion of the outer wall of said valve may be formed as a track 25 directly below and spaced from the top wall 14 of said chamber A for a purpose hereinafter to be described. The valve extends upwardly through the opening 15 in said head and terminates in a portion 22 just above the said head l1 but so dimensioned that the lower shoulder 222 of said portion need not contact with a top of said head.

The interior of Said valve is arranged with exhaust chambers 26, a fuel inlet chamber 27 and air cooling chambers 28. Each exhaust chamber 26 is provided with a port 29 in the bottom wall of said valve. Similar ports 30 are provided which communicate with the fuel inlet chamber 27. The angular arrangement of said inlet and exhaust ports about the surface of said wall 23 is such that they will cooperate with the ports 13 in said head 11 at the proper periods during the strokes of the pistons of said engine.

The fuel inlet chamber 27 into which the fuel from the carburetor (not shown) is admitted through a suitable opening 31 in head l1 may have a volume approximately equal to the volume of the fuel lead (not shown) whereby the fuel mixture will retain its proportionate air and gas content up to the time of its entry into the cylinders. The said chamber may also have highly polished inner walls as it has been found that by so polishing said walls, the retention of constancy of the fuel mixture is aided. Furthermore, the portions of said chamber 27 leading to the ports 30 are such that the fuel gas mixture may be centrifugally led directly to said ports in the shortest possible path during operation.

The air chambers 28 which communicate with the outer atmosphere through the top of said valve, which latter may be open, are adapted to circulate cooling air through the inner parts of the valve, about the walls of said other chambers and are provided with suitable ports 32 in the said Valve, leading into chamber A which permit the air to be drawn through said valve, and ports 32 and through ports v in the head ll whereby the air so drawn may be led to the carburetor by suitable means (not shown) and be used for mixture with fuel, The direction of the air flow may be reversed if desired. It may also be noted that the air emerging through ports 32 also may circulate in the unoccupied portion of chamber A for further cooling of said valve.

Of course at all times itis necessary to keep the valve 22 tightly on its seat l2 and balanced. To accomplish this result I have provided the following expedient. Tightly sealed into the opening 18 of each of said compression chambers 17 are members 33 each of which may have a central opening 33'. The upper face of each of said members may be formed with a countersunk portion 34 concentric with said central opening 33 and formed at the bottom of said counter sunk portion may be a plurality of annular grooves 35 and corresponding ribs 36.

Adapted to be mounted in the valve chamber A is a fork like member 37 which may have suitably journaled between the arms thereof, a roller 38 which latter is adapted to roll on the track 25. The upper end of said member 37 is provided with a stern 39 so admeasured in diameter as to slidably rlt through opening 33 there being however, a minimum of clearance preferably of the order of about one thousandth of an inch (1/1000). Screw threadedly or otherwise mounted to said stem may be plate member 40 hereinafter 'termed a pressure plate so admeasured in diameter as to slidably t into said countersunk portion 34 of said member 33 and having a clearance therefrom of the same order of magnitude as said aforementioned clearance. Said plate 40 may be provided on its bottom face With a plurality of grooves 4l and ribs 42 corresponding in number to those on the plug 33 and so arranged that the ribs 42 slidably t into grooves 35 and ribs 36 slidably nt into grooves 4l. The clearance between the side walls of the respective ribs and grooves is very small it being just sufficient to permit the pressure plate to slide into the countersunk bore 34 and being about of the magnitude of one thousandth (1/ 1000) of an inch. The grooves and ribs may be so admeasured as to permit the roller 38 to be tightly pressed against the track 25 as will be presently described and the clearance between the top of the ribs and the bottoms of the respective grooves may be approximately of the order of magnitude of fteenthouandths 15/ 1000) of an inch. Formed at the upper end of stem 39 is a second stem 43 which latter projects into a tubular member 44 provided in a removable plug 45 which latter is adapted to be mounted into the wall of said head 11. A spring 46 in said member 44 tends to continuously urge said stem downwardly thereby pushing said roller 38 against track 25 and thereby tending to retain the valve 22 on its seat 12'. The effect of said spring may be varied by the plug 47 at the top of said member 44. The provision of the slidable pressure plate is for the purpose of creating a downward pressure on the roller 38 during the compression and explosion strokes which in cooperation with the pressure of the spring 46 will be suicient to create a turning moment equal and opposite to the turning moment caused by the pressure of the gases in the cylinders against the Valve face 23 during said strokes.

The provision of the labyrinth arrangement caused by the ribs and grooves is for the purpose of reducing to a minimum any possible leakage from the chambers 17 during compression and combustion strokes. The clearance between the ribs is only sufficient to permit sliding motion of f the pressure plate and roller 38 and leakage if any is negligible. The material used for the cooperating elements may be the same so that expansion and contraction of all parts will be uniform.

In order to further insure balancing of the valve and retain it on its valve seat, an auxiliary balancing device may be provided as at 48. The said balancing device may comprise a forked member 49 between the legs of which is rotatably journaled, a roller 50 which is also adapted to roll along said track 25. Projecting upwardly from said fork member and into a suitable bore 51 in said head l1 is a stem 52 integrally formed with or fixedly attached to said member. A suitable `of the valve may freely rotate.

compression spring 53v insaid bore serves to rurge said roller 'against'saidtrack 25 and the pressure may be regulated by means of a plug 54 in the top of said bore. The said springpreferably is heavier than spring 46.

The track 25 may have an upturned edge 25' whereby the forks 37 and 49 will not rotate around the longitudinal axis of the respective stems 3.9 and 52. Other suitable means to accomplish the same result may be employed.

It is not essential that rollers 38 and 50 be employ-ed for bearing against said'track 25 as any meansfor exerting the pressure on track 25 with a minimum of friction loss may be employed.

The valve may be drivenby said shaft 24 which maybe rotatably bor-ne in bearing in the said head. The said shaft may also freely rotate without said valve. In order to communicate the rotation of said shaft to said valve, I may provide a collar 56 which is adapted to be keyed to said shaft and which may be formed with laterally extending wings 57. The said wings may each be provided with adjusting means such as a bolt or screw 58 which latter are respectively adapted to bear on the respective abutment ledges 59 suitabl7 provided on the outer walls of the exhaust charnbers 26. It is therefore possible by the above described drive to adjust the relative angular relationship of the valve and shaft 43 in order to insure the proper timing arrangement of the valve ports and cylinder head ports. It is of course im'- material Whether the said collar is positioned above the valve or below it, but convenience and accessibility make it preferable to arrange it as shown.

In order to lead off the exhaust gases which emerge from the exhaust chamber 26 through openings 26 in the side 'walls of the part 22' of said valve an exhaust head 60 adapted to be suitably mounted on said head 11 is provided and is arranged with a portion in which said part 2; Suitable exhaust leads 61 which are adapted to be connected to an exhaust pipe (not shown) of said engine are arranged in said exhaust head and so located that the proper openings 26 will register with leads 6l when the exhaust stroke of a coresponding cylinder is taking place. No supportying engagement need exist between saidy exhaust i head and said valve.

It is to be understood that the cooperating surfaces of the valve and valve seat are finely ground valve surfaces. Suitable oil inlets 62 and 63 entering through said head ll are provided for forming the desired oil lrn seal between the surface l2' and valve surface 23. Excess oil may be led off in any suitable manner.

My device operates as folloWs:-

When the motor is turned over in usual manner the valve is caused to rotate by the means described. At the proper position of the piston in cylinder c for intake, the proper fuel inlet port 30 begins to register with the cylinder port 13 and completes the intake period during the required time interval. Said port 13 is then sealed by the valve surface 23, and remains so during compression and explosion stroke. During said compression and explosion strokes the pressure exerted upwardly on the valve through port 13 i is completely balanced by the counter pressure g port 13 and permits the exhaust to be fed away through the corresponding exhaust chamber 26 to the exhaust lead 6l. The cycle then.v repeats itself. and the mode of operation is the same for each cylinder.

The particular type of means described for pressing the roller 38 above described downward of course mayrbe'varied and in Fig. 4, I show the following substitute means which may replace the labyrinth arrangement shown in Fig. l.

In the said Fig. li, theroller SSvmay be mounted at the bottoni ofa piston 64 which latter is adapted to be slidablein opening l in wall 14. Leakproor" slidability may be obtained in well known manner by use ofV piston rings 65. A stem 66 performing the stem Li3 may project upwardly from said piston 6.4 and be actuated by spring 4.5 in similar manner to stem e3. The diameter of said piston should be so adineasured as to cause the combined downward pressure of spring d3 and the pressure caused by the pressure in chamber 17 to balance the lift on the valve through port 13. Other equivalent means may also be employed if desired as long as no leakage results.

Of course it is not necessary thatV rollers be employed for the purpose of engaging track 25. Any sort of engagement therewith may be employed wherebyv friction isreduced to a minimum as by putting rollers on the said track and using abutting members attached to the stems 39 and 52 which wiil then roll over said track. Any other suitable expedientV may be employed.

It will be noted that the rollers 38andy 50 arranged in such manner that the moments of the same functions as f downwardly acting forces will be equal to the moments of all the upwardly acting forces during the compression and explosion strokes so that complete `balancing of the valve occurs and there is no tendency for the valve to be lifted from its seat.

It will further be noted that there is no danger of thel valve sticking due to expansion because there is ample room in the said chamber A for the valve to freely move-regardless of the extent of expansion.

My invention may be modied in many other ways without departing from the spirit thereof and I do not wish to be limited to the details shown and described.

What I claim is:-

1. In a combustion engine having a valve chamber with a fiat valve seat and a rotary valve having a ilat base adapted to rest on said seat for controlling the cyclic operations in the cylinders of said engine, means for balancing said if tending through each of said auxiliary chambers in leakproof manner, means at the lower end of said plunger member to directly engage said valve in frictionless manner and a piston on said plunger member responsive to pressure in said auxiliary chamber.

2. In a combustion engine having a valve chamber with a flat valve seat and a rotary valve having a at base adapted to rest on said seat for controlling the cyclic operations in the cylinders thereof, means for balancing said valve, said means including an auxiliary pressure chamber for each cylinder communicating directly with its respective cylinder, means adapted to be actuated by the pressure created in said chambers during compression and explosion strokes of the respective cylinders and to directly engage said valve creating thereby counter rotating moment to the rotating moment exerted on said valve during pressure strokes in said cylinders, and means for substantially leakproof mounting of said engaging means.

3. In a combustion engine having a valve chamber with a flat valve seat and a rotary valve having a flat base adapted to rest on said seat mounted therein for controlling the cyclic operations oi' the cylinders of said engine, means for balancing said valve, said means including a slidable plunger member for each cylinder, roller means at one end of said member for directly engaging said valve in frictionless manner; and means for actuating said plunger member through pressure in said cylinders during pressure periods in the latter whereby a turning moment is created on said valve counter to the turning moment created on the latter by the pressure in said cylinders.

4. In a combustion engine having a valve chamber with a flat valve seat and a rotary valve having a flat base adapted to rest on said seat mounted therein for controlling the cyclic operations of the cylinders of said engine, means for balancing said valve, said means including a separate auxiliary pressure chamber for each of said cylinders, a slidable plunger member, means on the end of said member for directly engaging said valve in frictionless manner therefor, means for actuating said plunger means by pressure created in said auxiliary chambers during pressure periods in said cylinders for creating a turning moment on said valve counter to the turning moment created on the latter by the pressure in said cylinders during said pressure periods.

5. In a device as per claim 4, in which said actuating means includes a slidable piston member mounted in the walls of said auxiliary chamber and attached to said plunger means.

6. In an internal combustion engine having a valve chamber with a flat valve seat above the cylinders thereof, the combination therewith of a valve for controlling the cyclic operations in the said cylinders, said valve having a iiat base adapted to lie on said seat and a track on said valve and means for balancing said valve, said means including an auxiliary independent chamber for each cylinder, communicating therewith and extending over said track, a slidable member extending through each of said auxiliary chambers and adapted to engage said track and means rigidly connected to said members responsive to pressure in the respective auxiliary chambers to counter-balance pressure in said cylinders tending to lift said valve from its seat by causing said members to exert pressure on said track counter to the pressure exerted on said valve base.

'7. In an internal combustion engine with a plurality of cylinders having a Valve chamber above the cylinders of said engine, said chamber having a flat bottom for a valve seat and a port in said bottom for each cylinder, a rotatable valve body having a ilat bottom for a base, inlet and exhaust chambers and ports in said valve seat for each of said chambers, said ports adapted to successively register with said cylinder ports when said valve body is rotated to control the cyclic operations of said cylinders, an auxiliary chamber communicating respectively with the combustion chamber of each cylinder and extending above a portion of the valve body, said valve body having a portion parallel to the valve bottom, means for exerting a downward pressure on said valve body to maintain a tight seal between the iiat faces of the chamber bottom and the valve bottom, said means including a slidable member extending through each auxiliary chamber and adapted to engage the upper flat portion of said valve body, means for continuously pressing said member against said valve body and auxiliary means on said member responsive to pressure in said auxiliary chamber to augment downward pressure of said continuously downward pressing means whereby to counter balance upward thrust on said valve body during compression and explosion strokes of said cylinders.

8. In a device as per claim 7, in which said ports are provided only on the valve bottom.

9. In an internal combustion engine having cylinders and a valve chamber with flat valve seat and a rotary valve having a dat base adapted to rest on said seat for controlling the cyclic operl. il() ations in the cylinders of said engine and means i for balancing said valve in substantially frictionless manner, said means including counter pressure means on said valve active during the compression and explosion strokes and capable of creating a turning moment equal to and opposite to the turning moment caused by the gases.

10. In an internal combustion engine having cylinders and a valve chamber with flat valve seat and a rotary valve having a flat base adapted to rest on said seat for controlling the cyclic operations in the cylinders of said engine and means for balancing said valve in substantially frictionless manner, said means including rolling contact means between said balancing means and said valve, counter pressure means on said valve active during the compression and explosion strokes capable of creating a turning moment equal to and opposite to the turning moment caused by the gases.

HENRY MANRODT. 

